I Just Watched the Worst Nationally Televised Football Game in Recent Memory (And it Could Get Worse)

This is was one of the "highlights" of the Monday Night Football game I just saw between the AFC North leading Baltimore Ravens and the increasingly unpopular Jacksonville Jaguars. Pictured is Josh Scobee, the Jaguars kicker who nailed 3 50+ yard field goals and another from 22 yards to get the 1-5 Jaguars a 12-7 win against the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, the same Ravens team that defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets. The Ravens were just plain atrocious on offense, having a net gain of one yard in the first half. Although the offense woke up in the 2nd half enough to get a touchdown, Joe Flacco ended the game by throwing a very poor pass right into the Jaguars defense for an interception.

So let's get this straight. The Ravens lost to a 1-5 team that has not sold out a game in 2 years. The Ravens also defeated the Steelers and Jets.... Therefore, the Steelers and Jets are not that great and make every team they have beaten look even worse. About 2 posts ao, I contemplated which games the 49ers could win down the stretch of the season, thinking that the Giants, Ravens, and Steelers games would be big tests. I now no longer think that and am ready to declare the games against the Ravens and Steelers both wins for the Niners, to get at least a 14 win season; their only threat being the Giants.

Back on topic to Monday Night Football, this game was just plain atrocious.... And things could get worse. Following are the next scheduled nationally televised games by week:

• Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers vs Kansas City Chiefs
• Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Oakland Raiders vs San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots vs New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers
• New York Jets vs Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots
• Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins vs Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints
• Philadelphia Eagles vs Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
• Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams vs Seattle Seahawks
• Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens vs San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers vs San Francisco 49ers
• Houston Texans vs Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints

There's a disturbing trend in the teams that will be making frequent appearances in nationally televised games from here on out. Note that the last 3 weeks are not set and can be changed if it is deemed the game will be garbage (aka, not hold you breath for Rams vs Seahawks Monday Night Football). Here's how many times each teams with multiple appearances will appear nationally for the rest of the season:

• Cowboys (4)
• Eagles (4)
• Chargers (4)
• Chiefs (3)
• Ravens (3)
• Steelers (4)
• Bears (2)
• Patriots (3)
• Jets (2)
• Packers (2)
• Giants (3)
• 49ers (2)
• Saints (2)
• Colts (2)

The Super Bowl Champion Packers are appearing 2 more times on national television. The NFC Champion Runner-Up Bears are appearing 2 more times, the Super Bowl loser Steelers are appearing 4 more times, the AFC Runner-Up Jets are appearing 2 more times, First Round exit teams, Eagles (4), Saints (2), Chiefs (3). The Falcons were good enough to get a first round bye, but they will only make 1 appearance nationally. The Patriots whom had the best record in the NFL lat year but lost to the Jets after a first round bye will have 3 more appearances. The Cowboys and Chargers who did not qualify for the playoffs each have 4 more appearances. The Giants did not qualify either and will get 3 more appearances. The currently winless Colts thankfully only have 2 more national appearances and the unexpectedly good 49ers will only have 2 more appearances.

What the fuck NBC and ESPN? The fucking Cowboys, Eagles, Chargers, and Steelers have at least 4 more nationally televised games this season, while the reigning champions, who were early favorites to repeat as champions, only have 2 more scheduled? I mean seriously, what the fuck? Even the teams with 3 games left in this latter half of the season are ridiculous: the Chiefs, Ravens, Patriots, and Giants. Can an East Coast bias be more obvious? The only team with more than 2 scheduled nationally televised games west of the Rockies are the Chargers, who didn't even qualify for the playoffs last year. Yes, the Seahawks have been having a terrible year, but after last year's upset against the Saints, you'd think they;d get more respect. The Broncos are a hype machine these days, with people wanting to see Tim Tebow play and it was only going to be a matter of time before he would play this season.

This week was bad enough in nationally televised games, with the Ravens and Jaguars tonight and the Saints and Colts last night, although to be fair, before the season started and Peyton Manning's injury was unclear, that game looked to be a real winner. Without Manning however, the Saints demolished the Colts in a 62-7 victory.

Luckily, there were World Series games on yesterday and today (which were both great), but next week and the week after and so on, that won't be an option.

The match-ups this season are proving to be real stinkers with only minor gems here and there, highlighted by the 49ers and Lions defying expectations and making games more watchable. I just pray the playoffs will be well-played and that deserving teams get in.